1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to voicemail systems, and in particular to voicemail systems that provide message retrieval in a non-voice format.
2. Description of the Related Art
Call answering is an extremely popular service. Conventional voice-based call-completion messaging systems enable callers to leave messages for unavailable parties, such that the called parties are required to call their voice mailboxes to retrieve their messages. Conventional voice-based call-completion messaging systems do not provide instant notifications, or alternative means for accessing the actual message content.
Current call-answering and call-completion systems allow the caller to leave the called party a voice message, when the called party is unavailable to receive the call. This system is quite convenient for the caller, but places a degree of inconvenience on the called party. The inconvenience results from the fact that the called party needs to perform the operation of calling the voice mailbox and retrieving the message. The retrieval is inconvenient because:
i. The retrieval is relatively time consuming. In the case of mobile telephone subscribers, this time translates into increased airtime and commensurate expense.
ii. The retrieval is intrusive: the called party cannot retrieve a message quietly during a meeting, but must make a telephone call and concentrate accordingly in order to hear the message.
iii. In the case of calling a wireless telephone subscriber, if the called party does not have his/her cellular/wireless telephone on hand, s/he may not be able to access the voicemail box, or even know that a message has been left for them.
iv. Commonly, the retrieval is not performed until a relatively large time interval has passed, often causing the message to lose relevance, and thus missing the caller's original purpose in leaving the message.
An additional, and increasingly important, dimension of voice messaging is responding to the message. When a called party retrieves a stored voice message, he or she may want to rapidly contact or respond to the calling party. A common way to do this is by return call or by return voice message. Often, however, these methods may not be quick or convenient enough in gaining the calling party's attention, as the calling party may have switched devices and may no longer be available on, or have access to, his or her voice device.
Various prior art examples of solutions for these problems are available, such as: U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,087 describes a method and system for delivering a voice mail notification to a subscriber using a cellular telephone network. This invention, incorporated herein by reference, describes a way to notify a cellular user that a voice message has been left in their mailbox, so that the called party can call the voice mail system in order to retrieve the message. This invention enables the reduction of the time lag between the leaving of a message and the notification to the called party, but does not enable the passing on of the actual contents of the message to the called party.
PCT application number WO002367A1 describes a voice mail server system, which transmits voice messages to a mobile station. According to this invention, which is incorporated herein by reference, a system is provided to adapt, transmit, receive and readapt a voice message, in order to deliver it without a delay to a mobile station. According to this invention, a voice message is not retrieved by the recipient but rather actively pushed to the handset by the network. In this way, the invention merely deals with an efficient format for the voice content to be coded and delivered.
Current Technologies Dealing with this Field Include:
“Cellcomtext:”(world wide web at cellcom.co.il/index.html) is a system for sending text messages to a subscriber, such that a caller may use voice commands to compose and send messages. This system enables immediate notification to the subscribers mobile telephone, via Short Messaging Service (hereinafter “SMS”), and enables subscribers to silently access the actual content of messages. The disadvantage is that the messages are limited to a pre-programmed list of common messages. Furthermore, the sender needs to be aware of the service's existence, and must remember the number of the service, in order to dial in to receive the original (audio) messages. The process of composing a reply message is time consuming and limited in alternatives, as it is dependant on similar interaction with an Interactive Voice Response (hereinafter “IVR”) system, and a limited selection of messages.
A similar technology is Globelines Landline Texting system (world wide web at globe.com.ph/), which provides a system that enables sending text messages composed via landline telephones. These telephones require proprietary client software, and enable composition of text messages using DTMF-based dialing (typing key numbers 1–4 times for the letter or symbol required). This system uses an IVR system and aids the user by providing a list of pre-composed messages.
VocalLink (world wide web at vocallink.com/faq.asp) is a system that enables users to listen and reply to all messages, whether email, voicemail or faxes, using any telephone, computer or wireless device from one central location. Voice messages are either transmitted as .WAV files, or converted to text using a speech to text converter. Access to messages is achieved via calling in to a central location. This system requires phoning into central number to access a users messages.
Various other technologies provide messaging services, such as universal messaging, Internet messaging etc., whereby voice and other messages are transmitted to various devices, and can be accessed by those devices, when convenient for the called party. In universal messaging (UM), for example, the calling party sends messages via existing media, in the accustomed manner, and the UM system's contribution is to gather them all into one central inbox. UM does not in any way change the process of the message deposit. A voice message remains a voice message, and a text message remains a text message.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a system that can enable a caller to leave a voice message for a presently not-available call receiver (hereinafter referred to as a called person (CDP), wherein the caller may use any voice enabled device to leave a message, and the receiver may use any device to receive themessage according to the preferences of both the caller and receiver. Moreover, it would be advantageous to enable switching of the message medium within the course of the calling party's deposit/message creation process.
Furthermore it would be advantageous to push the message to the receiver instantly, and for the receiver to exercise control over how and when to receive the message.
There is a further need for, and it would be advantageous to have, a system that can enable a message receiver to respond to a message sender immediately, by composing a message using voice, and having the system automatically send it to the original sender in a non-voice format.